Hadas Dabas ’25 PhD named 2026 Schmidt Science Fellow
Hadas Dabas ’25 PhD (Genetics) is one of 32 early career researchers named as a 2026 Schmidt Science Fellow to pursue innovative interdisciplinary science.
The program allows emerging research leaders to pursue an ambitious “interdisciplinary pivot” by embarking on postdoctoral research in a new field of study from their PhD.
As a Schmidt Science Fellow, Dabas will pivot to climate science, with a focus on engineering fungi to create self-sustaining biological carbon sinks to combat climate change.
Some fungi naturally capture carbon by building tough materials, such as chitin and melanin, to form their physical structure. Dabas will harness and reprogram this ability to create fungi that convert carbon dioxide into stable biopolymers, building carbon-rich structures, even within closed systems. With the help of microfluidics, their growth will be guided into forms that maximize carbon storage. Dabas’s aim is to build new, living tools for carbon capture that are biodegradable, scalable, and energy efficient.
Established in 2018, Schmidt Science Fellows is an initiative of Schmidt Sciences delivered in partnership with the Rhodes Trust. The fellowship provides financial support for a postdoctoral placement of one to two years at a world-class research institution. The funding equips scientists to apply their knowledge to a new field of study with the goal of accelerating discoveries, and to develop their leadership potential. The program supports research in any of the natural sciences, engineering, mathematics, or computing.
At Yale, Dabas conducted research in the laboratory of Marc Hammarlund, Professor of Genetics and of Neuroscience. The Hammarlund lab develops novel ways to study the cell biology of neurons in vivo, and studies how neurons prevent degeneration, repair injury, and maintain circuit function.
"Science without interdisciplinary research is like using only one of your five senses to try and understand the world," said Wendy Schmidt, who co-founded Schmidt Sciences with her husband Eric.
"We welcome the fresh, interdisciplinary perspective that each new cohort of Schmidt Science Fellows brings to the mysteries of our time — how life began on Earth, how we can overcome disease, how our climate is changing, and how we can create a healthy, resilient, and secure world for all," she added.
The 2026 cohort will tackle research that includes climate and conservation, quantum materials, novel therapeutics, and advanced diagnostics. The fellows were nominated by 25 globally leading institutions across North America, Europe, Asia, and Australia.